When Leticia Lopez returned to Albuquerque from her trip to Puerto Rico, she found an “international transaction fee” added to every purchase on her credit card bill.

See the problem?

Puerto Rico isn’t an international destination. It’s an unincorporated, organized territory of the US with commonwealth status — meaning you pay in dollars and don’t have to show a passport before being let on the island.

Lopez is furious.

I have paid such fees in the past when I have used my Visa card in many countries I have visited and understand that it is warranted in those cases because there are different currencies that have to be converted.

However, in Puerto Rico, there is no other currency but the U.S. dollar. I contacted State Farm Bank and pointed this out to them, as well as the fact that I did not have to use a passport to travel to Puerto Rico nor go through international flight immigration and customs there or on the return.

They insisted that Puerto Rico is international travel, and would not remove the $16 fees in international transaction fees.